Ex-President Roh Moo-hyun Laid to Rest
By Kim Rahn
Staff Reporter
The late former President Roh Moo-hyun was buried in his hometown of Gimhae, South Gyeongsang Province, Friday, 49 days after his death.
Roh's family members and dozens of his former aides held a Buddhist ceremony at Jeongtowon Temple near his residence early in the morning.
The ceremony was held according to the Buddhist belief that the soul of a dead person is reincarnated 49 days after death and that the bereaved family's prayers during the period lead the soul to transmigrate to a better future life.
The former President leapt to his death from a cliff near his home on May 23 under pressure from an investigation into alleged bribery involving his family, aides and himself.
During the two-hour-long ceremony, participants recited Buddhist scriptures. Ven. Semin of Jogye Temple preached a sermon to wish for Roh's peaceful passage into eternity.
Major temples across the nation held ceremonies at the same time for the late former President.
A memorial event was held at a plaza near the burial site. Singers, poets and actors gave performances to pay tribute to the ex-head of state.
After the ceremony, Roh's son carried the urn from Jeongtowon to the grave at the foot of Mt. Bonghwa.
Religious rites were followed by a flower offering and incense burning by his family, former National Assembly speakers Kim Won-ki and Lim Chae-jung, former prime ministers Han Myeong-sook and Lee Hae-chan, chairmen of political parties and representatives of civic groups. Fourteen citizens who had special ties with Roh also paid tribute.
Roh's son put the white porcelain urn in a lotus flower-shaped stone case, which was then put in a square marble box. The box was put in a stone coffin along with eight DVDs, which were a record of his five-year presidency and footage of citizens' memorial services held in the lead-up to his funeral.
The coffin, covered with the national flag ``taegeukgi,'' was buried along with a steel plate on which was inscribed, ``The last stronghold of democracy is awakening citizens' systematized power.''
Instead of a grave mound, a 2-meter-wide, 2-meter-long and 40-centimeter-high broad and flat rock was put in place in accordance with Roh's desire to ``set up a very small gravestone.'' On the rock was engraved ``President Roh Moo-hyun.''
The urn, stone case, marble box, coffin and gravestone were collected or donated from all around the country to memoralize his pursuit of ``balanced development of the country.''
After the ceremonies were over, citizens were allowed to pay tribute. Thousands of people holding yellow ribbons and balloons ―Roh's symbolic color ― bade farewell to him.
In downtown Seoul, citizens held a memorial ceremony in front of Deoksu Palace where a memorial altar has been set up since Roh's death.
About 500 people held religious rites there around 3 p.m., and thousands of citizens gathered for a cultural ceremony in the evening, even though police did not permit the gathering, citing possible violence.